Facing Reality
by poeticgrace
Summary: Cory is forced to come to terms when Shawn's addiction lands them both at the hospital.
1. Chapter 1

Sterile white sheets that were scratchy against pale skin, the familiar burn of sterile sanitizing spray in the air, the constant hum and beep of machines and monitors – all the telling signals of a hospital were there. Cory hadn't slept in forty-eight hours except for the few rare moments when he would doze off between doctors and nurses coming in and out of the small, dark room. There should have been more visitors by now, but he wasn't really all that surprised to find himself alone. Even he didn't really feel like being there anymore.

He heard his phone ring from his coat pocket but didn't make a move to retrieve it across the room. There had been a few calls this morning, probably his parents checking on him. They were worried. Everyone was worried. Coming back here had been a risk. Still, it felt like something that he had to do. He couldn't leave him here alone – stupid loyalty. He had made a promise a long time ago, and even if his partner-in-crime hadn't upheld his end, Cory still couldn't let him down.

"How is he looking today, Claire?" Cory asked as the petite brunette nurse checked over Shawn's vital signs. There had been a week of this, of the same pointless questions and the same empty answers. The nurse smiled softly at Cory and gave him the same line about things remaining the same. "Well, I guess that's better than it getting worse, isn't it?"

"I'm sorry, Cory," she told him genuinely, and he knew that she meant it. They were all sorry, the doctors and the nurses that paraded through. They were sorry that they couldn't give him better news and that he had to be there in the first place and that no one could offer up any answers that would give him real comfort. "I will be back in a couple hours to check on him again. I hear they are having pizza in the cafeteria if you get hungry. If you need anything else, just give us a call."

After thanking her, Cory turned back and looked down at his old friend. The past two years had not been kind to Shawn Hunter, not that life had ever really smiled upon him much. They had grown apart during the time, after Topanga left to pursue her law dreams in San Francisco and Cory had fully immersed himself in teaching. Shawn had kind of drifted around New York City without his old friends to tether himself to anymore. Even Cory hadn't been able to reach him when he got in too deep, and now they had both found themselves here in this room.

If he had to pinpoint when things went really bad, he knew that it was when Shawn found out that Jack had been killed in an automobile accident down in Nicaragua. A few years in the Peace Corps had shown his brother that he appreciated doing missionary-type work, and he had been traveling through Central America ever since. Losing Jack had been the end of all the biological family he had left. It had been a downward spiral ever since, and Cory had to hope that his best friend had finally hit rock bottom.

"How's he doing?"

Cory turned toward the doorway and smiled at his wife. She looked so pretty standing under that dull fluorescent light, a true angel sent to save him amidst all the chaos. Everyone had been surprised when they had ended up together, no one more than Cory and her. They had reconnected at their tenth high school reunion, an event neither Topanga nor Cory bothered to show up for. There had been a lot of hurt feelings when they had announced they were dating, old loves resurfacing long after they should have been forgotten.

"Hey, Ang," he whispered as he came toward her. Angela wrapped her arms around him in a long embrace, cradling her husband protectively to her chest. He felt at home then, safe from the harsh realities that faced them outside this room. "He's about the same, you know. You didn't have to come by this morning. I know you were busy writing. When is the next edit due back to your publisher?"

Angela had turned out to be quite an accomplished writer after she graduated from college in Paris. She'd written three books to this point and had received a nice publishing deal and generous advance for her next one. "I finished the last little bit this morning. I will get it out to the publisher next week. I told them that we kind of had a family emergency."

He looked back at his best friend lying there motionless in bed and wondered if that was still true. Were they still family? He would do anything for Shawn, but he wasn't sure that the favor would be returned. Shawn had always been selfish to a point, but things had become uncontrollable since Jack died and Topanga left. Drugs had become his only comfort, his only love. There didn't seem to be a place in his life for anything or anyone else.

"Did you call her?"

Cory looked up at his wife and nodded silently. The last thing he wanted to do was call Topanga. She had made a big choice when she had left him and their marriage for the bright sunshine of California. She told him that she had a new dream, one that didn't include him. It had taken him a long time to get over it, though he wasn't always sure that he had really forgiven her. Topanga hadn't been in contact with Shawn since she left New York. None of them were in her life anymore. He hadn't really wanted to call Topanga but Angela had insisted. She deserved to know, even if she didn't want to do anything about it.

"She said that she would be out this weekend if she could get time off," he answered with a shrug. He wasn't sure why he was so surprised at Topanga's cavalier attitude. That wasn't the girl he had known and loved, but that was definitely who she had turned into. "I told her not to bother, that we had things handled. I don't know what's right anymore, Ang. I just want this to be over so I can go home with you."

"I know," she said softly, sliding her arms back around him from behind as they watched Shawn sleep in the hospital bed. This had been all they had seen for the past week. "You've tried everything but giving up, Cor. I know you feel guilty but you can't. Shawn didn't want help. He wanted to get high. All you can do is wait to see if he wakes up and offer him help again. If he still won't take it, I don't know…at some point, I feel like we have to be done."

Cory turned around in his arms and nodded before letting his hand drift down to her slightly rounded stomach. "I know, I know," he assured her as he rubbed her tummy. They had a child on the way, a whole other person that was now more important than them. "I just, I don't know…I feel guilty. He has no one, Ang. If I give up, what will happen to him?"

"Honestly, Cor, I don't know," she admitted as her fingers entwined with his on her abdomen. "I just know that we have a really good thing going here, the family that we both wanted. You've already given Shawn so much, but I won't let him take this from us. I won't let you give up this for him. I will support you in whatever you need to do for him, honey, but I won't support you losing yourself in the chaos of this storm."

"That won't happen," he promised her confidently, leaning over to kiss the top of her forehead. "I am going to be a father now, and you are going to be this baby's very amazing mother. I am here until Shawn wakes up so that I can offer him one more chance. I feel like I owe him that much. I don't think I could live myself if I didn't give him one. But if he doesn't take it, I'm gone."

Angela was quiet. She knew that it was easy for him to say that, but he would never really be completely done with Shawn. It was their blessing and their curse, for him to have a big heart like he did and for her to love her husband so unconditionally. He had come along at a point in her life where she was just ready for a real, pure love. Cory had given her that so easily. They both should have been broken but it was never like that for them.

"He doesn't even know I'm pregnant," she lamented. "Or that Eric got married or that Morgan is graduating from college or that your parents just celebrated their 35th anniversary. He's missed so much this past year, Cor. I mean, does he even know about Mr. Feeny?"

Cory hung his head and shook it sadly. Shawn hadn't bothered to pick up the phone when Cory called to tell him that their childhood mentor had passed away three months ago. He hadn't had the heart to leave a message and had instead written him a letter. It was returned as undeliverable. Life had gone on without Shawn. These people who had once been everything to him meant nothing compared to the drugs.


	2. Chapter 2

Shawn was a prisoner trapped in his own mind. He could hear and see what was going on around him, but his body wouldn't allow him to respond. He could hear Cory's hushed conversations with Angela and the constant hum of his heart monitor and the tense readings the pretty brunette nurse took every four hours. He could see the unfamiliar peach ceiling overhead, the concern in his best friend's eyes and the occasion blur of color whenever the balloons in the corner moved beneath the air conditioning vent. He could take all of this in, but he couldn't tell Cory that he was there, couldn't open his eyes to acknowledge the doctor's presence, couldn't reach out for Angela's hand when she sat by his bed.

The past few years – hell, the past life time – had not been kind to Shawn. He used to be able to move past things a lot more easily. He wasn't sure if it was because he had Cory or because of Angela or just because that what you do when your life is a losing game. The truth was that he had isolated himself on purpose, using the drugs as comfort in place of his friends. If he didn't care about them anymore, it couldn't hurt when they were taken away from him. It was that kind of twisted logic that landed him here. It was a love that defied all that that brought Cory there.

His best friend had been there pretty much every moment. Shawn knew that much for sure. His was the first known presence that he had recognized after somewhat coming to in the emergency room. The doctors had informed Cory that it was a semi-conscious state that gave them hope. However, the longer he remained vegetative, the dimmer the hopes got that he would ever pull fully through. A nurse had told Angela that three days. Cory had simply told her that she didn't know his best friend, that Shawn wasn't going anywhere.

He knew that it had to be trying on the two of them. He had spent so much time being bitter when they found their way to each other. He hadn't been able to see through the perceived betrayal to feel happy for them. They were the best two people he knew. There was no way a rational, sane version of Shawn could have begrudged them that. However, unfortunately, they had to deal with the jealous lunatic who didn't know how to handle everything.

The thing was, the root of it all, it was never supposed to end up like this. When he was a fool in love at the ripe of eighteen, graduating with the world at his feet, he was sure he saw everything. He was going to be a famous photographer, while Angela would be a writer. They'd have a great loft in New York and live the bohemian lifestyle. They'd still be friends with Cory and Topanga, who would end up a teacher and a lawyer living in the suburbs. It had almost worked out like that too, but then life had happened.

Once Shawn graduated from college in New York, he ended up getting work as an assistant to a fashion photographer. Long hours meant late nights, and part of him knew it was inevitable. He just needed a catalyst to justify partaking, and Jack's untimely death proved to be just the match to strike up his addiction fire. It had only grown deeper when Topanga had announced that she was moving to the West Coast for a better life, leaving his best friend behind. Shawn had commiserated with Cory, but his friend wasn't about to feel sorry for himself. He was sad but he forged ahead with his life. When their high school reunion rolled around and neither Topanga nor Shawn bothered to show up, Cory had found himself spending time with Angela. Now they were married and if Shawn had heard right yesterday, they were expecting a child. His best friend with his best girl – it was a movie cliché brought to life.

Jimmy Eat World had been the constant soundtrack to his hospital room. It was one of Cory's favorite bands and had been a mainstay that first year after college when they had hung out in coffee shops all over the city. They'd meet between Cory's classes and talk about his students and Shawn's models and everything else that mattered. He missed those days more than anything. Like when Topanga and Cory had stopped talking, there had just been this shift between them. He wanted to do it over, to go back and make it all right, but he couldn't. He was stuck here in a place where he could only hope for a second chance.

"Shawn's lawyer called me today," he heard Cory tell someone. His voice sounded tired and older than it should. "Apparently he gave me power of attorney in case something happened after Jack died. The doctors want to talk to me about long-term care, Ang. They're giving up hope. I don't know what to do."

"Oh, Cor," she exhaled. Shawn watched her come into the room and over to where Cory was sitting, wrapping her arms around him in a loving embrace. "I hate how hard this is for you. I'm powerless to help you, just like you're powerless to help him. There's not a lot either of us can do. All you can really do is listen to the doctors and think about what Shawn would want."

Cory rubbed his eyes tiredly. "That's the thing," he replied, "I know what Shawn would want. Or I know what the old Shawn would want, at least. He wouldn't want to be a prisoner in his own body and he certainly wouldn't want to be a burden to anyone. I know that's what he would think this is, even if we don't. I just don't know if I can make that call."

"So don't," she urged him. "Cory, I know you and I know that you always follow your gut. It's pretty clear that your gut is telling you to hang in there. Don't count him out yet. Listen to what your heart is telling you. If you want to wait, we'll wait."

"He's doing okay on his own. It's just the feeding tube," he told Angela. "I feel like, yeah, we could take it out, but then if he is dying, wouldn't it be painful? I can't do that to him, Ang. I wish he could just wake up and tell me what to do. You'd think I wouldn't still miss him after not talking for so long but I do. I miss him so much and it's even more apparent now that I'm around him."

"We'll wait then. Do you hear me? We. I'm serious, Mr. Matthews. I am here for the long haul or until the doctors make me get out of here."

"Well, Mrs. Matthews, just make sure that you are eating and sleeping. I know that I haven't been much help, but Morgan and my mom will be here tomorrow. They will be able to help us. Dad and Eric are coming next week with Joshua."

"I am definitely ready to have some family around," she commiserated as she perched on her husband's lap. Cory's arms fit around her perfectly, and Shawn wondered if he ever was that good for her. "What about Topanga?"

Cory shrugged. "More of the same."

"Is it because of me?"

"Because of us," he corrected her. "And probably, yeah, I don't know. Topanga isn't that selfish, or that's what I keep telling myself."

"Cory, it's been how long...?"

"I know but what else can we do? We were always the patient ones, Ang. We didn't need to wreck everything like Shawn or make them perfect like Topanga. It's not that those things are bad, they're just part of what make them who they are. We're the calm ones, the reliable few. All there is to do is wait. We're waiting on Topanga to come and Shawn to wake up."


	3. Chapter 3

"Cory."

Her voice was so far away, but he could still hear her bright as day. It was so familiar to him, so comforting like a sense of home. His dark eyes slipped open to meet hers peering down at him. "Hey, sorry to wake you up, just wanted to let you know that I was here."

His ex-wife was still one of the most beautiful women he had ever known. There was this salt of the earth feeling he got whenever he was around her, perhaps because he could still see a glimpse of the free spirit that she used to be. She looked so different now in her prim business suits and perfectly coifed bob.

"Hey," he said softly. Angela was still asleep beside him, a hospital-issed blanket thrown over her lap to keep her warm in the hospital waiting room. Cory carefully slipped his arm out from behind her and gently shook her awake. Angela mumbled something sleepily as he shook her again. "Ang, babe, Topanga is here. Wake up."

"Topanga?" she asked sleepily before begrudgingly opening her eyes to look at her husband. Cory reached down and pushed back a few wayward curls from her forehead. A mutual look of understanding passed between them. They both knew that they had to get through this, and he was grateful that he was on this side of the situation. At least he had Angela to have his back. His wife smiled at him prettily before moving her gaze over to her old friend. "Hey, girl, how was your flight?"

Topanga shifted her oversized black satchel off her shoulder and into an empty chair beside Angela. She didn't even notice that she was nervously tapping her heel on the tiled floor. "It was okay, long," she answered. The last thing she wanted to do was leave California this afternoon to come back to deal with her very-present past, but she owed Shawn at least that much. "How's he doing? Any change?"

"Not really," Cory answered honestly. "The doctors want to talk to me about the feeding tube, I don't know. It's been a hard day. Shawn is, as always, blissfully unaware. He looks pretty peaceful, Topanga. Do you want to go see him?"

"Honestly? Not really," she admitted. The truth was that seeing him like that was about the last thing she wanted to right now. She had ignored all the signs whenever she had been around Shawn the last time and then ignored Cory's calls whenever he tried to talk to her about it. "But that's not why I am here. I am sorry, you guys. I know that you could have used my help with this..."

Angela sat up in her chair carefully before shrugging nonchalantly. "There is only so much any of us can do. We can't replace Jack or go back in time and keep him from getting in that car accident. We can't undo the past. We can just help him deal with the future, whatever form that takes. I just hope that we get the chance to do that."

"We will," Cory said confidentally. He always had faith in Shawn, believing when no one else could. He had kind of lost sight of that for awhile, but he wouldn't do that now. Not in front of Topanga at least, not where she could judge him or their friendship. "I'll take you down to his room. It's after visiting hours, but we have family passes." Cory leaned over and kissed Angela's forehead. "Do you want to stay or come with?"

"I'll come with you," she offered. Cory reached for her hand and helped her out of the chair. It was then that the blanket slipped to the floor, revealing her very round stomach. Topanga gasped aloud at the sight of her pregnant belly. Anglea instinctively wrapped her arms around her midsection protectively and looked to Cory for direction. "Oh, yeah, this." It sounded stupid even as she said it, but it was all she could think of to utter in such a situation. "So Cory and I are having a baby."

"I see that," she chirped cheerfully, but the whole thing rang false. She looked up at her ex-husband and smiled brightly. She knew that he had always wanted a family, and if anyone was going to be a good father, it was Cory. "Congratulations to you both, that's amazing."

"Thank you," Angela said meekly as Cory wrapped his arm around her waist supportively. "We're pretty excited. Shawn doesn't know yet."

"He's missed a lot."

"You both have," Cory pointed out. "Did you know that Eric got married two months ago? You missed Morgan's graduation. My mom said she sent you an invitation to that and their anniversary party. I thought you might come back for at least one of those things. I mean, other than Mr. Feeny's funeral, you haven't been back a single time since you left."

Topanga looked down at her clasped hands. The truth was that she had left by her own choice, but she hadn't trusted her own strength not to falter if she came back. The only reason she felt like it was okay to stay away was because she knew Cory was happy with Angela. "Because it's too hard," she told him patiently. "I know it was my choice to go, but it doesn't mean it was an easy one. I gave up all of our friends and my family when I did that, Cory. I know it hurt you, but it hurt me too. That's my fault. I accept that. But I think, I have to feel like, it worked out for the best. Look at where you are. You're so happy. You have everything you wanted. I don't think I made a mistake, do you?"

"I know that you didn't," he agreed. "I also think that you don't have to give up everything else just because you and I didn't work out. My parents, my whole family, they miss you. Angela misses you. I miss you."

"You do?" she asked, looking back and forth between Cory and Angela. They both nodded. "Really?"

"Of course," Angela told her, stepping out of Cory's embrace to hug her fully. "There's room for both of us here, Topanga. You're always going to be welcome."

There were a lot of details, things they needed to work out, and eventually they would get there. It would take time and patience and some kind of inner strength she didn't always know she had. But somehow, she was fully confident they'd get through it. But first they had someone else to focus on. For now, it was time for her to go see Shawn.


	4. Chapter 4

The constant tapping on his shoulder was starting to get annoying, but Cory didn't want to give anyone the satisfaction of waking him up. He had barely slept at all, and now that he had finally managed to go to sleep again, he wasn't about to wake up again. Topanga had been there for the weekend and had thought about going back for a few days to wrap up some loose ends. It was only when she saw how sick Shawn was and how dire the situation was that she realized the seriousness of the whole situation. Angela had finally convinced her to say, pointing out that she was pregnant and Cory needed help. Cory hadn't expected her to stay but was glad that she had. It gave all three of them time to catch up and time to finally rest.

Still, he hadn't slept much in the days since she had been here. Nine of them had passed and Shawn still wasn't awake. They took turns sitting with him in shifts, even his parents had come up for a weekend and Morgan and her boyfriend had sat with him some on Monday. Eric had taken a shift last night. However, it had mostly been him watching over his best friend. When he wasn't in there, Angela would find him pacing the halls or Topanga would find him talking to a doctor in the waiting room or they'd both find him together down in the cafeteria, ordering his sixth cup of coffee for the day.

"Cory. Cory!"

The harsh whisper caused him to internally wince. The last thing he wanted was to deal with this anymore. He was mentally, physically and emotionally exhausted. He couldn't even make out whose voice it was. He just knew he didn't care. He didn't want to talk anymore. He just wanted to sleep.

"Cory, wake up!"

"What!" he yelled, his eyes flying open to meet Topanga's. "What is it? What is so important that you had to wake me out of the first decent sleep I've had in a week. What could it possibly be?"

"Shawn's awake," she said. Cory leapt from his seat and was halfway down the hall before he heard Topanga finish her sentence. She watched after him helplessly, knowing that it didn't matter what came after that. "The doctor said he was asking for you."

Cory peered through the small window into the private hospital room and grinned. Shawn was still laying down and looking quite pale, but his eyes were definitely opened. His breath was caught in his throat as he reached for the door knob. He was almost scared to enter, to find out htat his best friend had woke up a different person. Just as he was about to come in, the doctor turned around to leave and met Cory in the hallway.

"Cory, I was just going to look for you. I told Topanga that Shawn was awake. He was asking for you," the older man told him. He was one of the regulars who had been assigned to look after Shawn this week. There wasn't a lot they could do, so mostly, they had just been monitoring him. "But before you go in, there are some things that I think we should talk about."

With one look over his shoulder toward Shawn's room, Cory reluctantly followed the doctor down the hall to a small private room reserved for visiting with the families. "Cory, Shawn isn't exactly himself," the doctor warned him once they were both sat down. Cory's fingers gripped the hard plastic of the uncomfortable chair. "I mean, he knows who he is, but he has gone through a lot. He has lost a lot of time, almost three weeks. The mental impact that has on a healthy person is typically significant. Someone in Shawn's condition is much worse off."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that we have already talked to him about his treatment options and have given him twelve hours to decide. That's about how long he has before the medication we were giving him to keep him from going through withdrawals while he was in a coma wear off," he told Cory. "As his closest next of kin, it is your responsibility, obviously, to help him decide. If we deem him unfit of making a choice, you will be appointed to make the choice for him. Given his fragile state, it is quite likely that responsibility could fall on you."

Cory furrowed his brow. "My responsibility?"

The doctor reached out and touched his shoulder chastely. "Cory, I understand how difficult this is for you. I have been there myself," he confided, "so I know how critical this decision is going to be. My advice is that you get Shawn to agree to treatment so that you don't have to force him into rehab. His anger would be counterproductive to treatment. We could have someone start helping him with the detox while he is in here. It would start right away. Once he is strong enough, I can help him get set up in a rehab facility."

Cory looked at the information packet the doctor slid across the table in his direction and frowned. There were smiling patients, _addicts_, looking up at him as they swam, hiked and sat in a circle in some kind of outdoor therapy session. It looked like a summer camp for adults. It couldn't be that bad. "Thank you," he replied. "Is there, uh, anyway I can see my friend now?"

"Sure, son," he agreed before leading him toward the door. "Just remember what I said. Getting him to agree is truly going to be your best route."

Cory came down the hallway and went into Shawn's room easily this time, wanting to just see him and know for himself that he was going to be okay. Shawn was frowning at a newspaper when he came in, and Cory knew he was trying to figure out just how much he missed. "Hey, Shawnie," he said casually before falling easily into the chair next to the bed. "What you got there, sports section? The Reds have been playing some good ball."

Shawn looked up in awe at his friend. "Cory? You're here?"

"Of course I am, buddy, where else would I be?" he asked rhetorically. "We're all here, Topanga and Ang too. My parents were up over the weekend. Morgan and Eric have been here. We all have, just waiting for you to wake up."

"Sorry you had to wait so long," he apologized, his voice quiet and shameful. "I guess I have a lot to be sorry about right now, huh?"

"Yeah, but we'll get there. Right now, we just got to work on getting your head right," Cory told him. "I know the doctor talked to you. I'm not going to try to patronize you here, Shawn. We haven't been close for awhile for reasons far too big for one conversation to fix. All I know is that I want to fix it, and we can't do that unless you get help."

Shawn looked at his best friend and nodded before offering only, "I know."

"It took a lot for me to call Topanga to come here, but I knew she needed to be here. We are all your friend, Shawnie. We want to support you. My parents love you like they love the rest of their kids. You have got to remember what my dad told you all those years ago – stop hurting your friends. We need you around, Shawn. I am asking, will you go to rehab?" 

The nervousness was apparent in Shawn's eyes. Cory knew his friend's first instinct was to fight, but his resolve was dimmed without his drugs. He wasn't as defiant as he had once been. Life had changed all that. No, this Shawn was defeated. "Yeah, I'll go," he agreed. "When the doc says I can go, I'll go."

"Good," Cory retorted, crossing his arms as he leaned back. "There is something else I want to tell you before you see it for yourself. Angela is pregnant."

"Angela is pregnant?" Shawn repeated. "Huh. Angela is pregnant."

"Yeah, we're having twins."

"Wow, twins! Congratulations, Cor."

"Do you mean that?"

Shawn narrowed his eyes. "How can you ask me that?"

"C'mon, Shawn, you know exactly how I can ask you that."

He did know, but it didn't make it any easier to hear. "I'm happy for you, Cor."


	5. Chapter 5

_Three months later..._

"Shawn Hunter, I am proud to say that I hereby release you from Meadowbrook Rehabilitation Center."

Shawn smiled up at the old doctor before hugging him tightly. "Thank you, sir," he said with a wide grin before heaving his oversized duffel bag over his shoulder. The past twelve weeks had been far from easy, and even Shawn was amazed by the progress that he had made. Medical logic dictated that he shouldn't be standing there, but after two long weeks of recovering in the hospital and another ten doing in-patient care at Meadowbrook, he was happy to say that he had indeed defyed all the odds.

What amazed him even more was how his friends had come together in the wake of his addiction. Topanga had spent the entire two weeks he was in the hospital with him and the rest of the gang, prologing her return to work. While she did eventually have to return to California, she called him every three days and emailed him daily. They stayed in touch, and Shawn was glad that they had managed to salvage their friendship after everything that had happened. He was also glad that she was looking into a transfer in the spring. The group still had a lot to work out, and it felt like it would be a lot easier if she was back home in Philadelphia.

The warm sunlight hit Shawn's face and welcomed him in a way that the day hadn't in months. He hadn't see this hour voluntarily before rehab, but now he looked forward to it more than anything. He looked ahead to the dark grey SUV idling at the curb, waiting for him to jump inside so that he could go home. Angela was behind the wheel, her curly hair blowing gently in the breeze as she waved excitedly. It was good to see her like this, free and genuinely happy. Shawn would never pretend that it hadn't been hard the first time he saw her pregnant and even harder when he saw Cory talking to her stomach one day at the hospital. They were a family now, the three of them a cohesive little unit. Shawn wasn't exactly sure of his place, but he knew that he somehow amazingly still had one.

"Shawnie!" Cory exclaimed as he jumped out of the passenger seat and met his best friend halfway up the sidewalk. Cory looked as happy to see him as Angela, reaching for his duffel bag to help himout while still trying to hug him. "You look good."

"You just saw me three days ago, Cor," Shawn reminded him with a small smile. Cory had been there every single step of the way. He visited a couple times a week when the rehab center allowed guests and called him on the days when he couldn't come up. Angela came sometimes, but as she entered her eighth month of pregnancy, she was growing more and more tired from long days of work. Cory would bring Shawn's favorite junk food and books, catch him up on how everyone was doing and pretty much just maintained some kind of normalcy for Shawn.

Shawn was also amazed at how kind the Matthews family had been. Well, not necessarily surprised but happy. He didn't really expect them to still welcome, but Amy and Alan had been there for him. They had visited a few times, and Amy was always sending some treat along with Cory when he came to visit. Joshua lent him a few video games and Morgan brought her new boyfriend by to visit last week. Eric also brought his wife by, and Shawn was shocked to see that he had finally landed the girl of his dreams, Rachel. It was nice that everything had come full circle, and yet something was still missing.

"C'mon, let's get you home," Cory offered as he opened the back door for Shawn.

Shawn reached out and shook his head. "There is somewhere we have to go first."

Cory nodded knowingly and slipped into the car without another word. Fifteen short minutes later, they were pulling up to the vacant cemetery that Cory had followed Shawn to all those years ago. Chet Hunter was no longer alone in the family plot. His son, Jack, was now at his side. Cory walked with Shawn to the edge of the path that led to the two graves but hung back to give him some privacy.

"Hey, guys," Shawn said to the two pieces of marble. He felt stupid talking to these little rock markers. "Sorry I haven't been by for awhile, but Cory said that he and Mrs. Matthews have been keeping it nice for me. I promise to try to come by more often." Shawn brushed some dry grass away from the outline of Jack's name. "Oh, Jack, man. I'm sorry." There wasn't a lot else to say. "I feel like I let you both down. More than that, I know that I let myself down. I always said I didn't want to be like you, Dad. I guess nature took its course, though that isn't really the point. Maybe I just need to embrace the good parts of you and try to beat my genetics, you know? I don't know what I'm really trying to say here except I miss you guys. Both of you, so much."

His shoulders started to shake as Shawn knelt on the cool ground. This was all of his family here in a cemetery – just two cold pieces of rock that couldn't talk back to him. And just like that, he felt Cory kneeling down beside him and his arm slipping around his shoulders. "Hey, Mr. Hunter. Hey, Jack," Cory greeted them while tucking his head close to Shawn's. "I know that you are as proud of Shawn as I am, but he still needs a lot of support. Maybe you two can be his guardian angel or something. Anyways, Angela is pregnant. We're having twin boys. We picked out the names."

"You did?" Shawn asked as he looked sideways at Cory.

"Yeah, Angela and I each got to pick one," Cory explained. "Angela picked William Alvin after her favorite writer and her father. We're going to call him Will."

"I like it," Shawn smiled as he relaxed a little. "What'd you decide on?"

"I wanted my son to have a strong name, a good name, so I thought I'd name them after my two heroes. I am going to name him Shawn Alan Matthews."

"You're going to name your son after me? Cor, I don't know..."

"You don't have to know, Shawn, because I do. It's a good name, and this kid is going to look up to you. He's going to need you around to set the example."

Shawn reached over and hugged his friend. "I am honored."

"Mr. Hunter, I told you a long time ago that Shawn was going to be okay. I just wanted to let you know, let you both know, that he is going to be great this time," Cory told them before tapping each tombstone. "He has a family here still. We might not be biology, but we do alright. I'll be by soon. Angela and I will bring the babies. I hope you're having a good time."

Shawn reached out and touched each grave again. "Bye, Jack," he said before dwindling on his father's grave for a moment longer. "Bye, Dad."

Later, after they've stowed Shawn's things at the new studio apartment he found a few miles from the art gallery the center set him up with, they head back to Cory and Angela's house for a dinner. Shawn is shocked when he comes in the living room and the lights flash on brightly to welcome him home. Amy is the first one to hug him, her arms warm and welcoming. She is the consumate mother, and Shawn knows that he is lucky she is his. Alan shakes his hand before pulling him into another hug and then Eric, Rachel and Morgan all take turns hugging him tightly. They bring out tons of food and soda and pretty much all the non-addictive treats that could be found. He is even more excited a few minutes when Topanga arrives with her suitcase straight from the airpot. She came in just for the party.

After everyone is done snacking, Shawn calls them into the living room so that he can make a speech. "I just want to thank everyone for coming today. I can't even begin to say how lucky I am to have you all in my life. Josh, Eric, Rachel and Morgan, you guys have become my brothers and sisters all over again. I am so glad that you guys allow me to be part of this family," he announced sincerely before looking over at the Matthews. "Mr. Matthews, Alan, Dad – you have meant just as much to me as my own father. I know that I let you down, and I am sorry for that. Mrs. Matthews, Mom, I am sorry that I broke your heart. I saw it that first night when you came to visit. To both of you, thank you for loving me when you didn't really have to. Just because your son decided he liked this weird brat back in preschool, you ended up with another son. Thank you for taking me in and always making me feel welcome."

Tears shone in Amy's eyes as she tipped her cup in Shawn's direction. "You're welcome, Shawn. We really do love you."

"I know, I love you both too," he said before looking over at Angela. "Ang, what can I say? You're going to be an amazing mom. I appreciate you lending me Cory and for being supportive of both of us these past few months. I wouldn't have made it without him, and he wouldn't have made it without you. You are an amazing woman." She blusehd prettily as she leaned her head on her husband's shoulder. "Speaking of which, Topanga...I appreciate all those long hours of flying and calls amdist your busy schedule. I look forward to getting more of our friendship back."

Topanga reached over and hugged Shawn tightly. "Me too, Shawn."

"And finally, Cory, honestly, I wouldn't have made it this far without you. I can't say thank you enough. You know everything I could say, so I will just leave you with this. I love you, Cor. Thank you for being an incredible best friend."

"Oh, Shawnie," Cory exhaled with a chuckle before hugging his best friend. "Love you, too, man."

"And with that, let's all toast Shawn," Alan announced. "To Shawn!"

"To Shawn!" they call cried out in unison.

_Fin._

(Thanks for reading!)


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